Originally posted on the Charlotte Observer. By Helen Schwab
For three summers now, Morgan Eudy, 18, of Monroe, has spent weeks creating and rebuilding hiking trails, constructing foot bridges and supporting archaeologists in restoring one ancient trail from the Pacific Ocean to Lake Becharof, in national parks from Pennsylvania to Alaska. That means he would sleep on the ground, eat meals from a camp stove, hike up to 4 miles each day to a work site and more.
Eudy, a UNC Wilmington student, through the nonprofit Student Conservation Association, got involved in the trails for "the prospect of a chance to travel and do challenging work in challenging places.
"What was most satisfying was being able to work and live in areas of the world that few people ever really get to experience." He credits his mother, Marilyn Eudy with giving the best advice he has ever gotten: "If the situation sucks, change your outlook on it." Says she: "Morgan makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of people who walk the trails of our national parks and will never know his name." ...read more [1]